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NBA Draft: Kevin Love Not Being Traded

A recent rumor suggested the Cleveland Cavaliers reached out to the San Antonio Spurs and offered up Kevin Love and their first-round NBA draft choice for Kawhi Leonard. It appears that report may be premature. According to ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin, the Cavaliers "are not actively shopping" Love and "have interest" in keeping him next season.

This news comes despite the growing concern that LeBron James will be leaving Cleveland via free agency this summer and that, if he did, the Cavs would undergo a serious retooling. McMenamin's report suggests, that even if all of those rumors turn out to be true, the Cavalier organization still believes Love is an important piece to the Cavs roster moving forward. He'll be staying put whether James stays or not.

Love, still just 29 years old, has two years and $49.7 million remaining on his current contract with the Cavaliers. He was also the 29th-highest paid player in the NBA last season.

Love was often inconsistent during the Cavs run this past season, but also at times, the team's best player outside of James. He averaged 17.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 41.5 percent on three-pointers. That put him in rare territory.

That said, while Love had the ability to get hot in games, his personal success did not always equate to team success. Most insiders would tell you after watching his numbers dip in the postseason, that a successful and championship-caliber offense would not exist if run around Love as the primary source of production. If LeBron leaves and the Cavs struggle to land suitable free agents, this is the exact scenario that might face the franchise.

Still, the report suggests Love is an asset the Cavs intend to hang onto. He'll earn $24.1 million next season and $25.6 million in the final year of the five-year max he signed prior to the 2015-16 campaign.

The NBA Draft starts on Thursday and, of course, things could change. For now, expect to see Love in a Cavs jersey next season.